The so-called ‘godfather of punk rock’ Malcolm McLaren has passed away at the age of 64. He was in his hey day largely responsible for developing the punk rock aesthetic of bands such as the New YOrk Dolls and the Sex Pistols, the latter band mythically formed from members McLaren found in a sex shop he ran in London.

McLaren died Thursday in a Swiss hospital after a struggle with cancer, and is survived by his son Joseph Corré and his longtime girlfriend, Young Kim.